According to a new study on couples, technology has become a key actor in the life of many American adults who are married or in committed relationships.

The report reveals that couples use digital tools like the Internet, cell phones and social media — both small and large moments — to help facilitate communication and support. Unsurprisingly, 12 percent of couples also say they have fought over technology and had hurtful experiences caused by its use.

As for social network usage, a small number of couples report sharing email and social media accounts and calendars, while a majority of internet users in couples have separate emails and social media accounts.

Here are some more major findings, by the numbers:

Computer love has been for the better: 74 percent of the adult internet users who report that the internet had an impact on their marriage or partnership say the impact was positive; 20 percent said the impact was mostly negative, and 4 percent said it was both good and bad.

Texting makes the heart grow fonder: Text messaging and online exchanges have helped 21 percent of cell owners or internet users in a committed relationship to feel closer to their spouse or partner.

It’s me or the cell phone: 25 percent of cell phone owners in a marriage or partnership have felt their spouse or partner was distracted by their cell phone when they were together.

Shared Lives, Shared Passwords: 67 percent of internet users in a marriage or committed relationship have shared the password to one or more of their online accounts with their spouse or partner.

Long Term Couples Share Emails: 27 percent of internet users in a marriage or committed relationship–typically older adults and those who have been in their relationship for longer than ten years–have an email account that they share with their partner.

Young love seems to be most impacted, both positively and negatively, by technology, with 45 percent of Internet users ages 18 to 29 in serious relationships reporting that the Internet has had an impact on their relationship (only one in ten online adults 65 and older said the same).

Study authors Amanda Lenhart and Maeve Duggan also note that long-term couples–those who have been together for over a decade, typically an older crowd–tend to view and use technology very differently compared with those who have been together for a shorter period of time.

Regarding the more intimate moments in relationships, sexting among adults has also increased, from six percent to nine, since 2012.

The report, “Couples, the Internet and Social Media,” is based on the results of a survey conducted via telephone interviews in English and Spanish by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. A sample of 2,252 adults, age 18 and older, were interviewed from April 17 to May 19 in 2013.

The margin of sampling error for results based on the total sample is plus or minus 2.3 percent.

Kendrick Lamar performs during the BET Music Matters Showcase at Brazos Hall on March 14, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for BET)

by Shawn Setaro, Rap Genius, theGrio

This week will be remembered as “the time Kendrick Lamar broke the Internet.” His verse on Big Sean’s “Control” took no prisoners and named names, with K. Dot proclaiming himself the “King of New York,” much to the consternation of the rappers who are actually from there.

A ton of performers, from NYC and otherwise, responded, and we listened to all of them (so you don’t have to). Below, the best “Control”-related lines of the week.

5. ”This ni**a Drake nice on the mic and act/So many hits, he f**ked around and brought light skin back/And Big Sean you did it, no you really did it, no bullsh*tting/You putting the D on, I could see the future, no Warwick” — Los, ‘Control (Remix)’ lyrics

King Los offers a sop to the wounded egos of the rappers Kendrick mentioned by name, saying something nice about each of them. The joke about Drake’s skin tone, as well as the Dionne (“D on” — get it?) Warwick/Psychic Friends Network pun, make this perhaps the funniest moment to come out of an otherwise serious rap dialogue.

4. ”You rich rappers can’t respond with all the dollars you get/Gangsta rappers can’t retaliate with hollows and clips/And you fashion rappers wear the kind of jeans that hardly get zipped/So zip it, I got this sh*t, real hip-hop in this b*tch” — Joell Ortiz, ‘Control (Remix)’ lyrics

Brooklyn’s Joell Ortiz was perhaps the first to respond to “Control,” and among the best. Here, he pokes fun at the rappers who don’t step up to Kendrick’s challenge, with a funny-’cause-it’s-true list of the reasons they refuse.

Lupe’s response was, as is his wont, a little more complex than just a dis. He questioned the need to respond at all, went crazy with the metaphors, and pushed out some of the most creative brags since…well…his own last mixtape. And he clears up any potential misinterpretation of the “hard” section on the outro — “Hold up, go back to the hard part/Would say pause, but I was talking ’bout my own balls,” he helpfully explains.

2. ”You the king of New York? Beg your pardon/The king of LA is dead and that ni**a from Harlem” — Mickey Factz, ‘South Park’ lyrics

Mickey Factz’ response track was the only one to really make on-point rebuttals directly to Kendrick, from claims that he stole Fab’s style to mocking references to his early underground rap days. This nod to Tupac’s biography, though, was the best of the bunch.

1. ”I’m usually homeboys with the same ni**as I’m rhyming wit/But this is hip-hop and them ni**as should know what time it is/And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT, Wale/Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake/Big Sean, Jay Electron’, Tyler, Mac Miller/I got love for you all but I’m tryna murder you ni**as/Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you ni**as/They dont wanna hear not one more noun or verb from you ni**as” – Kendrick Lamar, ‘Control’ lyrics

A longer quote than we normally allow for LOTW, but since all rules were broken this week (including the recent hip-hop gentlemen’s agreement about not naming names on records), it seemed only fair to include this whole section. This was the culmination of K. Dot’s show-stopping long verse, and it showed that he really means it when he says he’s the best — an opinion, by the way, that any rapper worth his or her salt should have of themselves.

NewsUSA – It’s tempting to slack off on certain business ventures as the weather heats up, but we all know businesses don’t get the luxury of a summer break.

In fact, when it comes to Internet marketing, most businesses can rarely afford to take a break — especially if a company struggles with measuring its online efforts or tracking results.

“Some companies make the mistake of putting too much emphasis on social media marketing. While it’s undeniably important, social media is in no way the end-all-be-all means of exposure,” explains Bryan Thornberg, president of the digital marketing agency Higher Images Inc. (www.higherimages.com). “You can’t forget the bigger picture, things like pay-per-click advertising and accurately tracking lead generation.”

In addition to social media marketing — which tends to excite business owners because it can be inexpensive and easy to manage — Thornberg outlines other factors that affect “online real estate.”

The visibility of any website hangs on quality design, a competitive Google ranking and extensive search engine optimization (SEO). Having a website that’s easy to find, explore and use increases leads and overall sales. But it’s not enough to boost sales if businesses can’t track real-time results or measure exactly where their digital dollars are going.

“Digital HI also powers Search Magnet Local, a program designed to increase your web presence and target advertising to precise search terms and locations that instantly help your Google ranking,” Thornberg adds.

With that kind of accountability, businesses can monitor how effective a marketing special is, what SEO terms are currently trendy and how many potential customers actually read testimonials.

According to the owner of one of the most successful car dealerships in Pittsburgh, Pa., Diehl Toyota, “[Digital HI] covers all the necessary aspects needed to effectively market to my customers and track the results of my efforts.”

This kind of focused marketing helps refine the granular state of the Internet. Both users and search engines will be better able to sift through the dirt and find gold.

“Us Lifting Us, a economic development cooperative created to help Milwaukee’s Black community take control of the economics in the community, will hold a International Radio/Call-in presentation of the ULU Cooperative Economic Empowerment Plan.

The broadcast will be Thursday, July 4 at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Us Lifting Us Economic Development Cooperative is advancing a powerful plan and business model that will empower the community. ULU is now doing online presentations of the Plan for brothers and sisters in the United States and beyond.

This is an interactive presentation with Q&A. The presentation will be live participants will be able to view the graphic pages on their computers. The presentation will start from the ULU website: www.usliftingus.com.

The radio side allows persons from outside the U.S. to come to the presentation without long distance charges.

The cooperative businesses developed by this powerful plan will not only benefit the community, it can also benefit individuals and their families.

To participate by phone, call 619-326-2725, code 263-2133 (#). To arrange for this presentation at other times, call 404-952-2077.

Bill Carroll does what most realtors do when they have properties for sale. He posts a listing of it online with many pictures to go along with it.

“One of the top ways to market a property is electronically and via the Internet,” said Carroll, who is a licensed real estate agent for ReMax Masters.

The Internet provides a broad audience and even some interest from scammers. This three-bedroom home is listed on his website for just under $100,000. But Carroll recently received a number of calls about renting it for $700 a month, even though it was never for rent.

Carroll said, “Someone else had posted my properties and my listing using my pictures and actually went as far as getting the owner’s name and setting up an email account with an email very similar to what her name was.”

Carroll says this happened before at another of his properties in DeWitt.

Police there say they’ve had legitimate complaints of scams like this in the past. But there are red flags to look out for.

DeWitt Police Lieutenant John Anton said, “Anytime it says wire money or put a deposit down electronically or a credit card number or something like that. Never ever give out that personal information.”

If your preference is to search online, your best bet is to actually go to the property and see it in person and have some type of face to face conversation with the seller.

Cairo — A new Android web browser could help users of low-end versions of smartphones, which are becoming increasingly common in in Africa, the Middle East and Asia (AMEA), navigate the Internet up to 30 per cent faster.

Chinese web services company Baidu has teamed up with telecommunications firm France Télécom-Orange to develop the application, called El Browzer, which is based on a mobile browser that Baidu made for Chinese smartphone owners.

Orange says that El Browzer is more data efficient than other smartphone browsers. According to Tania Aydenian, mobile partnerships manager at the firm, its data compression capabilities reduce the amount of data consumed by 30 to 90 per cent, making it faster.

Aydenian tells SciDev.Net that compressing data helps users of lower-cost smartphones navigate the Internet more cheaply. The browser also simplifies web access by using one-click links to preferred services.

“Orange’s smartphone penetration across AMEA countries currently ranges between eight and 15 per cent of the nearly 80 million customers in this region,” she says.

“We are seeing growth in demand for smartphones across all of our markets [in this region]. For example, in Egypt, we saw demand for Android devices double in the second half of 2012.”

El Browzer, which was launched in Egypt this month (1 February), has been developed to fulfil the growing low-end smartphone market in AMEA countries.

Arabic and English versions of the free browser are available pre-installed on Android devices sold via Mobinil, an Egyptian firm partly owned by France Télécom-Orange. A French version is also being developed.

Alternatively, Mobinil customers can download the browser to their Android devices.

Mosab Ahmad, a senior software engineer at Egyptian IT firms Zobad.net and Shaghal.com, says that the simplified browser will save resources as unnecessary functions have been removed.

According to Ahmad, data compression is not only good for the user but also for operators as it frees up valuable bandwidth.

“This browser is a huge step, not because of its technological aspects, but because of the size of the two corporates [behind it],” he says.

Ahmad adds that Orange has a huge Internet network and that Baidu rarely partners with other companies.

But Ahmed Elmalkey, a software developer for Egyptian IT company Airoffice.net, is sceptical about the new browser’s compression technology.

“Sending compressed data might involve some kind of encryption that should worry many governments in the region because customers’ data will be controlled by a private company,” he says.

There has never been a greater hunger for information in Africa than now. A better educated, more prosperous and young population are eager for facts and opinions about everything from politics to the latest music. They want the chance to shape their own futures.

We have seen, too, a dramatic growth of sources of information to feed this appetite. The internet and social media now provide an incredible wealth of facts and views and, increasingly, photographs and videos which can be accessed rapidly from wherever you are.

As a business person, I need to be aware of the social and political forces driving African economies. This information revolution is transforming every aspect of our lives, giving citizens more power, expanding consumer choice and helping hold politicians and business leaders to account. Social media and a new army of citizen journalists have been credited with driving democratic revolutions in North Africa and with creating new consumer trends and influencers.

In an era where everyone can now post news or share their opinions, it is easy to fall into the trap of believing the role of the traditional media and their trained journalists have become less valuable. But, in many ways they have become even more important. With so much unchecked information, there is a desperate need for a respected, independent voice to identify what matters among the noise and chaos on the web and help make sense of what we are reading or watching.

This is certainly the case in Africa where the diversity, vibrancy and strength of the traditional media has been a major factor in the continent’s recent success story. New newspapers and broadcasting stations have sprung up in many countries to inform and entertain. By highlighting success and identifying problems, newspapers in particular have helped foster national debate, inform policy making, monitor government performance and drive up standards.

But if journalism has never been more important, it is also under increased pressure. In comparison with Europe and North America, newspaper circulations remain high but there is, in many places, the same squeeze on revenues. As a result, we are not always seeing the investment in journalists’ training nor the salaries needed to retain experience.

And while freedom of the press may be guaranteed legally, the reality on the ground can be very different. Governments can view media criticism of what they are doing as against the national interest. Newspapers are pressurized into toeing a party line. Journalists can face obstruction, harassment and even worse.

This is not, of course, the picture across the whole of the continent.

It should be a matter of pride that Ghana, Cape Verde and Namibia ranked in the top 30 places in the 2013 global league table of press freedom drawn up by Reporters Without Borders. But there must also be concern that many African countries also saw the biggest falls in the index.

It is not, of course, due to any lack of committed or talented young journalists as even a quick read of some of the continent’s major papers shows. But they can lack the sustained investment and training needed to make the most of their potential.

It was to help close this training gap that that the David Astor Journalism Awards Trust was set up. Named in honour of David Astor who combined a distinguished career as a British newspaper editor with a lifetime commitment to social justice and Africa, the awards offer a tailored programme of training, work placements and support for talented young print journalists. At our company, SABMiller, we agreed that this is an essential project and felt compelled to give our support.

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda – three countries with well-established media infrastructures – were chosen as the starting countries for the awards.

For the last five years, three young journalists with exceptional promise from these countries have been selected. This year’s winners will be announced shortly.

As part of their prize, award winners spend three months working at some of the UK and South Africa’s leading papers to help them in the development of their careers. Each year as well, past and present winners are brought together to share ideas and experiences. We are already seeing this network provide mentoring support for a new generation following in their footsteps.

But while the work of the trust is important, it is clearly not enough. There needs to be a wider recognition – and support – for the value of strong, independent journalism across the continent.

This can require political and business leaders to focus on the long-term gain rather than short-term frustrations. By valuing and understanding the opinions of the communities in which we work, businesses can grow and ensure that our success benefits as many people as possible.

But by monitoring performance and results, acting as a watchdog and by fostering national debate, good journalism is crucial in ensuring countries identify the problems that must be overcome and help find solutions. The societies which have the confidence to harness this power for good will be those which best build on Africa’s incredible progress over the last decade.

In this day and age, one would be hard pressed to find a modern home that isn’t outfitted with WiFi capabilities, allowing for the comfort of accessing the Internet anywhere in the house.

However, what do you do when that wireless connection suddenly breaks down without rhyme or reason? Thankfully, George Otte, CEO and Founder of Geeks on Site , the premium computer repair and tech support company, has put together the followingfive tips to help you get that signal up-and-running again as painlessly as possible.

Troubleshooting Tips for When Wi-Fi Fails at Home

1. Make sure your modem and router is plugged in correctly and has power.

Start out by making sure the modem/router is plugged in correctly and powered on. Although it may seem that this could not be the problem, you may consider pets/children accidentally brushing up against a power cord, stepping on a fuse breaker, or even an unexpected surge that caused a partial power outage in your home. Test different power sockets to verify socket failure.

2. Make sure your router’s wireless feature is working and if not restart it (don’t reset it).

The next reason for Wi-Fi failure may be losing the wireless signal. You should try to diagnose if the router is emitting a signal by checking the router’s light indicators first. If the lights indicate the connection is lost, restart the device by unplugging it from the wall. There’s a huge difference between restarting a device and resetting a device. Don’t reset the device. If you reset the modem/router, you will restore its factory settings and in so doing, delete its configurations. Restarting the device by either unplugging its cord or pressing the restart button will only reboot the device in a manner similar to that of shutting off your computer and turning it back on. If you reset your device you will lose your internet connection for sure.

3. Check to see if your wireless feature got disabled.

To see if the problem lies from the source of the connection, you should proceed by plugging the Ethernet cable into the router and the router to your computer. If you can access the internet then it’s likely your router has lost its configuration but the modem is fine. You can attempt to fix this by typing the standard IP address “192.168.1.1” in your internet browser’s address box. This address should open the router’s setup page. This page will likely ask for a user name and password which you can find printed on a label on your modem/router, or a text somewhere in the modem’s box. Once you entered the page you should make sure that the wireless feature is marked as active or on. If it doesn’t you should consult with your network administrator or your ISP.

4. Verify there are no devices that may interfere with your Wi-Fi signal. Move potential interfering devices away.

If your wireless feature is marked as active or on and your Wi-Fi still doesn’t work correctly, then perhaps the loss of signal can be attributed to a signal interruption. Most routers and modems emit a 2.4GHZ frequency radio signal. Other devices such as a cordless phone or a microwave oven can cause interference if they have a similar or identical frequency. In these cases its best that you move these items away from your modem/router.

5. Make sure your PC is not the problem by using another device to access the wireless connection.

Sometimes, your computer may be the cause of the problem. To verify this, try accessing your Wi-Fi network with another computer, tablet or Smartphone. If one of these can connect to the network, then your computer is definitely the problem. Try rebooting your PC and if that doesn’t work you may need to update and/or reinstall your computer’s wireless adaptor’s drivers.

Damon Young lists the aggravating online behaviors and trends that should have been left back in 2012

by Damon Young Writer, Ebony

2013 marks the 15th full year that I’ve been “aware of” and engaged with the internet. In that time, I’ve detected many different types of consistent internet behavior, and I’m old enough to be annoyed by more than a few of them. As we enter the new year, here are 10 uber-annoying online habits, behaviors that I hope we can leave behind in 2013.

1. Leaving Comments to Say You Don’t Care About an Article: To the geniuses who feel that the best way to prove they don’t care about a subject is to click on an article about it, read the article, log in to leave a comment, and write, edit, and rewrite a 100 word long paragraph explaining exactly why they don’t care about the subject…we know you care.

2. Asking Social Media Instead of Asking Google: The folks who ask social media questions that could be answered by Google are the baby birds of the internet. It’s not enough to find food for them. They expect you to break it down, chew it, and spit it into their mouths.

3. Outrage Trolling: I’d believe you were really that “outraged” about that song that rapper made about light-skinned Black women if you weren’t just as “angry” yesterday about that article about hair you read on that blog yesterday or if you weren’t just as “furious” the day before that about that statement some politician made about grapefruit. And, I’d still be willing to give you the benefit of the doubt if this “anger” about subjects you really don’t give a damn about didn’t seem to provide you with so much joy.

4. Announcing that you’re “leaving” Facebook or Twitter or Linkedin or Tumblr or the Dungeons and Dragons Cheat Code Message Board or…:We get it: just leaving without an announcement won’t provide you the real reason for said announcement: to give yourself an opportunity to explain why you’re leaving when people inevitability ask you why you’re leaving. However, we don’t care. Goodbye!

5. Amateur “Twerk” Videos : Admittedly, these videos of very acrobatic young women with legions of time on their hands dancing in their kitchens were very, um, cool to look at when I was younger, but watching them now does nothing but prompt questions such as “Why does it look like you haven’t washed a dish since 2003?” and “Why is the cat sleeping on the bread?”

6. Internet Threats Spawned by Internet Beef: You’re sitting in a cubicle farm in an office building in Albany, New York. He’s in a moldy basement apartment located under a Starbucks in Austin, Texas. Why are you two threatening to smack each other the next time you see each other on the streets?

7. Hipsters Performing Genre-Switching Remakes of Hip-Hop Songs: It was kind of cute and cool the first time I saw those three White chicks sing an acoustic version of “Gin and Juice.” It was even still cute and cool the 21st time I saw something like that. But, after the 121st time, I think it’s safe to say that the thrill is gone. Irony schmirony. Get your LOLz elsewhere.

8. The Willie Lynch Letter: Stop quoting it every time a new reality show is debuted on Vh1 and repeat after me: The Willie Lynch letter is a hoax. The Willie Lynch letter is a hoax. The Willie Lynch letter is a hoax. The Willie Lynch letter is a hoax. The Willie Lynch letter is a hoax.

9. Referring to Yourself as “the Black ***fill in the blank***”: The most annoying part of this habit is that it always seems to be the same five or six White people whose names are dropped (ie: the Black Carrie Bradshaw, the Black Charlie Sheen, the Black Bill Gates, etc). I wouldn’t mind it as much if there were some Black Bea Arthurs, Black Bruce Springsteens or Black King Henry VIIIs thrown around as well. If you’re not gonna be creative, at least be creative.

10. Commenting on Articles You Haven’t Read: The granddaddy of them all, people crafting opinions and leaving passionate comments on articles after only skimming the title is perhaps the most annoying internet behavior of all. Nevermind the fact that the article may actually contain a compelling argument that could make you reconsider your opinion, the title said something you disagree (or agree) with, and you use this as an opportunity to remind everyone you skipped reading comprehension in high school. When writers and publications share stories via social media, they aren’t inviting you to a hearty discussion about what you ASSume the article is about…they want you to read it and then leave a comment. In that order, always and forever, amen.

The US, Canada, Australia and UK have refused to sign an international communications treaty at an conference in Dubai.

The countries had objected to calls for all states to have equal rights to the governance of the internet.

But the breaking point was the addition of text relating to “human rights”.

It marks a setback for the UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU) which had said it was sure it could deliver consensus.

“It’s with a heavy heart and a sense of missed opportunities that the US must communicate that it’s not able to sign the agreement in the current form,” said Terry Kramer the US ambassador to the World Conference on International Telecommunications (Wcit).

“The internet has given the world unimaginable economic and social benefit during these past 24 years.”

Negotiators from Denmark, Italy, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Greece, Portugal, Finland, Chile, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Costa Rica and Kenya have said they would need to consult with their national governments about how to proceed and would also not be able to sign the treaty as planned on Friday.

In total 89 countries have signed the treaty and 55 have either reserved the right to do so later or ruled out ratifying it altogether.

Censorship claims

The ITU had organised the 12-day conference in order to revise a communications treaty last overhauled 24 years ago.

It said the document would help nations co-ordinate efforts against spam and widen access to the web.

However, much of the discussions ended up focusing on whether or not countries should have equal rights to the development of the internet’s technical foundations.

In particular many attendees believed it was an anachronism that the US government got to decide which body should regulate the net’s address system as a legacy of its funding for Arpanet – a precursor to the internet which helped form its technical core.

However, the US said this allowed it to ensure that technical experts could make “agile, rapid-fire decisions” about the net’s development as part of multi-stakeholder organisations.

It added that other references to net might also be used to legitimise censorship and other interference in the operation of internet service providers (ISPs) and cloud-based operations, such as Google and Facebook.

Its view was supported by the internet and web pioneers Vint Cerf and Tim Berners-Lee who warned any changes posed a “disruptive threat to the stability of the system”.

Russian proposals

A proposal from Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Sudan calling for equal rights for all governments to manage “internet numbering, naming, addressing and identification resources” was eventually shelved.

But there was fresh controversy on Wednesday night after an alternative non-binding resolution was debated which suggested the UN agency’s leadership should “continue to take the necessary steps for ITU to play an active and constructive role in the development of broadband and the multi-stakeholder model of the internet.”

This was opposed by the US and European nations who repeated their argument that the treaty’s regulations should not stretch to internet governance.

As debate continued into the early hours of Thursday morning the conference’s chairman, Mohammed Nasser al-Ghanim asked for a “feel of the room” noting afterwards that the resolution had majority support, while stressing that this was not a formal “vote”.

Matters were also complicated by an African bloc of countries calling for a paragraph to be added to the treaty’s preamble relating to human rights which stated that: “These regulations recognise the right of access of member states to international telecommunication services.”

The US and its allies suggested this as an attempt to extend the treaty’s regulations to cover internet governance and content.

‘Bad agreement’

After a break for sleep, Iran called for a vote on the African proposal which was carried by 77 votes to 33. This was in spite of the ITU’s earlier pledge that disputed issues would only be resolved by consensus and not a majority vote.

The organisation’s secretary-general attempted to salvage discussions, but soon after the US, Canada and UK said they could no longer ratify the treaty.

“My delegation came to work for revised international telecommunication regulations, but not at any cost,” said the head of the UK delegation Simon Towler.

“We prefer no resolution on the internet at all, and I’m extremely concerned that the language just adopted opens the possibility of internet and content issues.”

Despite this setback, the ITU’s secretary-general Dr Hamadoun Toure insisted that those countries which did sign the treaty would benefit from other achievements including ” increased transparency in international mobile roaming charges and competition”.

Stopping spam

At a press conference on Friday the ITU said it was “puzzled” as to why countries had objected to the human rights text and denied there was an attempt to “hijack the internet”.

It highlighted a section that had been added to the treaty explicitly stating that it did not address content-related telecommunications.

The final document published on Friday does refer to an aspiration that “all governments should have an equal role and responsibility for international internet governance”.

But the ITU stressed that this text was non-binding and only featured in the treaty’s appendices following the US’s efforts to exclude it from the main regulations.

It also reflected on the fact that the main text does say that “member states should endeavour to take necessary measures to prevent the propagation of unsolicited bulk electronic communications,” a reference to email spam and other unwanted messages.

The ITU said that this was about finding technical solutions to parties sending “a million emails and flooding the pipes” rather than deciding what content should and should not be allowed to get through.